Prophecy of the Sun
by LunaeShark
Summary: Sequel to Prophecy of the Moon. Chandra's search for Tyn is cut short by unwelcome visitors from her past. On Hiatus temporarily.
1. Failure and Hot Chocolate

DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the _Underland Chronicles_. I DO own my OCs, please ask permission to use them in other fics.

It's been a little over a month since PotM was finished, and now the sequel has begun! My plan is to update once or twice a month, though that depends on my muse, my school life (taking college classes this year!), and other unforeseeable circumstances.

Hope you all enjoy this as much I've enjoyed writing it!

Thanks as always for all faves, alerts and, especially, reviews! It always makes me happy to know my writing is appreciated.

A special thanks to my beta, Mep (aka BloodRedTopaz) for her wonderful suggestions and corrections!

(edited 19/5/2011)

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Chapter One

Failure and Hot Chocolate

Sighing with frustration, Chandra tilted her head back and let the soft rain pelt her face. Eyes squinted against the tiny drops, she sought a break in the clouds. No sign of the stars or even her namesake, the moon, tonight. Further pursuit would be useless; Tyn had made a clean getaway yet again.

Not for the first time in the past two weeks, the girl wondered why she had thought it possible for her to catch such a creature by herself. Already newspapers from the worst rags to the best in print were publishing at least one article every day on the mysterious sightings of a giant owl, and to make matters worse, other false reports were being made, including two or three about giant bats. Thinking of those made Chandra zip her jacket all the way and hunch her shoulders, wings folded even tighter against her back.

As careful as she was when she flew, there _were_ people who spotted her – the city was too big and brightly lit at night to prevent that – but so far, they thought her a large bat. However, one look too close, one kid stargazing with binoculars or a telescope in the right place at the wrong time, could reveal the truth and the reports of a 'batgirl' would reach the ears of Dr. Delinz and her ilk. The girl closed her eyes and shook her head, not caring how strange she seemed to the few pedestrians still out after midnight.

_ Mustn't think about those cruel pseudo-scientists,_ she told herself, hands clenching into fists. _They're not worth the effort._

Pattering rain became a pounding downpour, and with a heavy heart, Chandra headed for the apartment complex that, for the moment, she called home. It was hard to not imagine the splendor and comfort of the Regalian palace, where she could have been living if it were not for Tyn. Twitchtongue, her bond, was another memory she avoided, as she regretted declining his request to go with her, though she knew it would have been difficult to hide a giant rat in New York City . At least she looked semi-human.

Rivulets of water slithered through her hair and down the large blue raincoat she wore over a thick jacket. Her jeans were a lost cause; the wind flapped her raincoat about so much the rain had no problem attacking her legs. Shivering, the girl picked up her pace, intent on reaching the complex before she became completely soaked. _A hot shower and something warm to eat would be nice._ It was a wistful thought. Gregor's family had been fast asleep when she slipped out to begin her nightly search, and the apartment was too small for her to take a shower without waking everyone up. She considered trying Mrs. Cormaci's place, but decided it would be better if she didn't. No doubt the friendly woman would be asleep as well.

By the time Chandra slipped through the complex's front door her teeth were chattering when not clenched together. With a quick jab, she pushed the elevator button and stood beside the sliding doors for almost ten minutes before realizing the obstinate machine had broke again.

"Stupid thing," she muttered, heading for the stairs. "Always breaks down at the wrong time." Taking the stairs two at a time got her to the correct floor in a few minutes, and Chandra grasped the handle of the correct apartment door, expecting it to turn as it had for the past two weeks. Instead, her hand rolled around the ball, and she groaned, leaning her head on the door. For the first time in two weeks, she'd forgotten to unlock the door on her way out.

"Chandra, is that you?" The familiar voice made the girl glance up hopefully, and she breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Mrs. Cormaci.

"Hello, Mrs. Cormaci. I locked myself out-"

"Say no more," said the woman, smiling as she unlocked her own apartment door. "Come inside, you look like you could use some hot chocolate and probably a hot shower, too."

"Thank you," Chandra said, her eyes filling with grateful tears. "I'm sorry to impose."

"It's always a pleasure to have you visit," replied Mrs. Cormaci, shooing the girl inside before locking the door behind herself. A lamp glowed beside the small couch, with a paperback romance resting on the couch's arm, a ragged bookmark sticking out of the middle pages. "You know where the bathroom is, don't you? Take a hot shower and I'll find you some clothes to wear, then we'll make some hot chocolate, and don't you dare protest. Heavens, child, you could have caught pneumonia out there tonight, what on Earth – or below-" she winked, humor overcoming her scolding tone for a brief moment "-were you thinking?"

Gregor had told Mrs. Cormaci of his own adventures in the strange underground world that existed partly beneath New York , but Chandra had insisted on keeping her visit there a secret. The story she'd given the woman was simple – she'd been treated horribly by Dr. Delinz, her 'mother', and upon moving to New York City, had decided to run away. Following a futile search, Dr. Delinz had left. Not long after that, Gregor found Chandra hiding in Central Park. He then convinced her to stay with his family, who had welcomed the shy girl upon hearing of her sad history. Perhaps not the most original story in the world, but it would do until Chandra was positive Mrs. Cormaci was who she seemed to be, an older, friendly lady who enjoyed company and helping others.

"I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk," Chandra lied. _I wish I could tell her the truth, but kind as she is... I just don't know if I can trust her with the truth. Not yet, anyway._

Mrs. Cormaci frowned. "Well, next time pay more attention to the weather." Her face softened. "You remind me of my son, he was always going out in the rain at night when he was young, and getting into trouble to boot. You aren't in any trouble, are you?"

"No." The girl shook her head, and started to retreat to the bathroom in hopes of getting away before the woman asked any more dangerous questions.

"Have you read the newspapers lately?" Mrs. Cormaci continued, scooping up one such paper from her little coffee table. "Been a lot of hysteria over this giant owl everyone and his brother seem to have seen. You wouldn't know anything about that?"

"Of course not," Chandra said, real confusion in her expression. _Why would she think that?_

"Probably just another hoax, like the Loch Ness monster…" Mrs. Cormaci shrugged. "Off you go before you make a puddle on my floor. Hot water's in the right tap, not the left, by the way. The plumber was drunk when he fixed a leaky pipe in there and mixed them up. Wouldn't fix them, either, because he swears he doesn't remember doing the job..."

Mrs. Cormaci's voice became a distant mumble when Chandra shut the bathroom door, and the girl let out the breath she'd been holding. "That was close," she breathed, the words lost in a rumble of water as it gushed from the shower nozzle. Her wet jeans clung to her skin, but she managed to peel them off, then dove into the shower and drew the curtain a brief second before her hostess walked in, thanking her lucky star that she'd been gifted with wings _and_ extraordinary hearing.

"Sorry, dear, I didn't mean to startle you. I'm putting some clothes on the counter by the sink, along with a bathrobe to wear over them so your hair doesn't soak the shirt. If you need anything, just yell, I'll be in the kitchen."

"Thank you." Chandra waited until the door had closed before taking a bottle of shampoo off the little shelf that hung in the shower from the curtain rod, then stood in the steaming hot water for a good minute before actually opening the bottle and squirting some of its contents onto her free hand.

Perhaps fifteen minutes later, the hot water began to grow cool, and the girl forced herself to turn it off before she was doused in cold. Opening the curtain, she stepped into the well-steamed bathroom, then spent several minutes searching – dripping puddles of water on the floor in the process – for a towel. She saved her wings for last and dried them as best she could already soaked towel, not wanting to need to explain the use of more than one. Fortunately the water ran off their leather surface with more ease than it did on her skin, and they were barely damp when she pulled on the clothes Mrs. Cormaci had left for her.

The shirt was a little big, which Chandra was grateful for, since she felt a little panicky about covering her wings without having a way to take them out. That reminded her she couldn't leave her clothes lying on the bathroom floor, and the girl went to collect the small wet pile, only to find they were no longer where she had left them. She finished dressing in less than a minute and burst out of the bathroom, still pulling on the bathrobe. "Mrs. Cormaci?"

"Yes, Chandra?" the woman stuck her head out of the kitchen. "Is something wrong?"

"Where are my clothes?"

"Oh! I folded them and put them in a plastic bag. They're sitting by the door. Did you get attacked while you were outside? Your shirt and jacket looked like they'd been slashed. Are you hurt?" When the girl shook her head Mrs. Cormaci added, "I could fix them if you like; I've got a sewing machine."

"No, it's fine," Chandra said, swallowing a groan with difficulty. "I'll take care of them." _If she didn't get a close look at the slashes, maybe she missed the fact that they were carefully made, with stitches preventing the ends from tearing further. Good thing I didn't take Grace's suggestion of hemming the edges._ Covering a yawn, she glanced toward the entrance, wondering if she dared make her excuses and leave, but Mrs. Cormaci had already been so kind and there was no way to get into the other apartment without a key, and the girl hated bearing extra weight, which is why she'd been leaving the door unlocked in the first place. Sure, the key was only a few extra ounces, but... _No, it's not the weight that's the problem, I just don't want to become used to staying there, and carrying a key would make my choice to stay here until Tyn is found final. I wish I could just go home, back to Regalia._ Tears pricked her eyes, and she tore her thoughts off that track before she could start crying.

"I think you are in desperate need of something hot, Chandra, you're still shaking like a leaf, and I just checked the temperature – did you know its forty degrees outside? Late fall is not a time to be wandering around outside in the middle of the night." Mrs. Cormaci ushered the girl into the kitchen, then stirred the white liquid beginning to bubble in a pan on the stove. "Cocoa and sugar are in that cupboard," she said, pointing at the correct door, "and I'll need a half cup measure, that'll be in the top drawer beside the fridge. Ever had homemade hot chocolate?"

"No." Shaking her head, the girl began collecting the required ingredients. "D-er, my mother used to buy the canned stuff for a treat. Sometimes it had hard little marshmallows in it. I didn't like it very much."

"In that case, you'll love this. It's my own recipe and my son's friends, when they were young, used to swear their mothers couldn't make it half as good, though they were careful never to say so when in hearing range of said women." Mrs. Cormaci dumped the sugar and cocoa in without seeming to really measure with the half cup, then handed the sugar and cocoa to Chandra before pitching the measuring cup into the sink. "Put that away, then grab the nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom from the spice cabinet, and don't tell anyone about those, okay? They're my secret ingredients, especially the last... Wait, not the seeds, there should be some ground cardamom in there."

After a bit of searching Chandra found the required spice canisters and set them down on the counter by the stove, then stood back and watched the woman shake small amounts of each spice into the simmering liquid. At first the tiny ground bits spread across the surface like algae over a pond, but a quick swish of the whisk and the spices sank. Sweet steam hovered above the pan and Chandra took a deep breath, inhaling the delicious fragrance.

"It smells wonderful," she said, licking her lips. "Do you want me to get some mugs?"

"If you would, please, they're in the cupboard beside the spices." Mrs. Cormaci fished a potholder out of a different drawer and moved the pan from the stove to the table, then rummaged in another drawer until she found an ornately crafted silver ladle with a gently curved cup that had a lip on one side for pouring. Roses arched up the handle to wrap around the raised C on the end. "This was my mother's, C for Catherine, you see, and she always used it when she made hot chocolate for me."

Sweet and not quite scalding hot, the creamy liquid slipped down Chandra's throat and curled up in her stomach, sending waves of warmth out that took the last bit of chill from her bones. Breathing a quiet sigh, she leaned back and relaxed in the chair, eyes half-drifting shut.

Mrs. Cormaci continued explaining the history of her ladle, but the girl could not stay focused on the woman's words any longer, and barely managed to set the mug down before she fell asleep on the table beside it, head pillowed on her arms. A few minutes later, Mrs. Cormaci coaxed Chandra onto her feet and into the living room, where she could lie down on the couch and be more comfortable, but the girl sleepwalked the entire way and in the morning would not remember moving from table to couch.


	2. School and Sirens

This chapter is more like a chapter and a half, but I couldn't find a good place to cut it... So it's an extra long chapter today. I hope you enjoy it!

Many thanks to my awesome beta Mep for catching all the embarrassing mistakes I make.

As always, thanks for reviewing!

(edited 19/5/2011)**  
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Chapter Two

School and Sirens

Peaceful darkness surrounded Chandra, cocooned her in tranquil warmth, and she snuggled down, intending to stay forever. However, something was shaking her shoulder too hard for her to ignore, and with a muffled groan she left her sleep to find Gregor standing over Mrs. Cormaci's couch, trying to wake her up. Annoyance replaced worry when he realized she was finally awake, and he stepped back, folding his arms.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to wake you?" he demanded, folding his arms. "We're going to miss breakfast and be late to school."

_School? What school?_ Confusion filled Chandra's thoughts and she shook her head. "I don't go to school, we agreed it would cost too much time that I need for searching. Come winter Tyn will probably relocate, and that will make finding him much more difficult."

"Well, you don't have a choice," Gregor grumbled, sounding no more pleased than she was about the situation. "The building administrator reported your presence to the police because you've been wandering in and out late at night, so this morning we got a visit from a social worker, who says my cousin Chandra needs to go to school while she's living with my family, and homeschooling is not an option until she proves she's a good student."

"This is a free country," protested the girl, jumping to her feet and casting the blanket she'd had spread over her aside in her haste. "Where is the social worker now? I want to speak to him."

"Unfortunately _she_ couldn't wait until you got back from your early morning run," snapped Gregor, his scowl deepening. "Next time you lock yourself out, just knock on the door. My parents almost got into a lot of trouble when she asked where you were and they didn't have any idea what to say. Good thing Lizzie was awake and quick to explain your love of running every morning for a few blocks, which you regretfully won't have time for once you start school."

"I can't, not with-" Chandra caught herself just in time and shrugged, the fluffy bathrobe brushing against her chin. _Looks like I don't have a choice._ "All right," she said, defeated. "When does school start?"

"In about thirty minutes, which doesn't give us much time to get you ready. You're going to my school, so you won't need a uniform, but a backpack and calculator, pencils..." Gregor sighed. "Mom's willing to pick you up during lunch and take you shopping for everything you need. I can lend you enough stuff to keep you going until then, and since it's the first day, the teachers won't be expecting too much work to get done, anyway. You do need to get dressed, though, can't wear army fatigues to school."

Looking down at the clothes she wore under the bathrobe, Chandra blushed, realizing for the first time that she was wearing not Mrs. Cormaci's clothes but a shirt and pants that probably had once belonged to the woman's son. "Oh." _I suppose it doesn't really matter, and at least the shirt hides my wing shapes._ Glancing up, she scanned the room and what she could see of the kitchen for her considerate host. "Where's Mrs. Cormaci? I need to thank her for letting me stay here."

"She's having tea with Mom." Gregor glanced at the watch he wore and grimaced. "If you hurry, you'll have time for a quick breakfast."

"All right, all right, I'm coming." Chandra left the bathrobe neatly folded on the couch and hurried toward the front door, right behind the boy. The plastic bag of her clothes still sat beside the door, and the girl gave silent thanks for that, scooping up the bag on her way by. _Can't believe I have to go to school,_ she groaned inwardly, and quickened her pace. Being late on her first day would make her stand out much more than she'd want to, and Chandra planned on being less remarkable than the walls themselves. If she kept a low profile, people would eventually stop noticing her and she would be able to slip out of school or even simply cut it, giving herself more time to search for Tyn.

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Never had Chandra been more grateful for the invention of taxis. Gregor's dad was kind enough to call one for them, since it was the girl's first day and she did not want to face taking a school bus. Besides, they were already late, and would have missed the bus anyway. Their taxi driver was good, and got them to the school – about twenty blocks away – in a few minutes, running one light that was orange turning red and nearly clipping another taxi on a hairpin turn. By the time the taxi screeched to a halt in front of the tall, imposing brick building, Chandra had begun to change her mind about how wonderful taxis were, but she climbed out after Gregor and took a few breaths to calm her racing heart before turning to the next obstacle. Glass doors, rimmed with steel, opened into a hall that still seemed clogged with kids despite the ringing overhead.

"Late bell," Gregor said, shaking his head when the girl suggested he go to his class while she found the principal's office on her own. "Don't worry about it; we need to get you your class schedule first. If we're lucky, we'll have the same homeroom, then I can just say I forgot to set the alarm, or something."

Chandra nodded, trying not to show her relief that he was going to accompany her. Already she was getting strange looks, and the girl tried to keep her gaze averted. The backpack she wore had a couple notebooks, a handful of pencils and an old calculator Gregor's dad had loaned her, but still pressed against her wings in a painful way. She tucked them closer, hoping their shape wasn't obvious under the thick shirt she wore. Wearing a single layer had worried her, but Gregor's mother Grace had insisted that wearing a jacket all day would not be a good idea.

"Hey, Gregor, who's your new friend?"

Gregor gave the brown-haired boy who'd fallen into step beside him a quick smile. "Hi, Larry, this is my cousin Chandra. Chandra, this is Larry, a good friend of mine."

Larry held out a hand, a friendly smile lighting up his blue eyes as he greeted the girl. "Nice to meet you, Chandra. Are you new around here?"

Shaking his hand, Chandra hoped the rest of Gregor's friends were as friendly as Larry. "Yes, I'm staying with Gregor's family for the time being," she replied, smiling. _Perhaps school won't be so bad._

"What's up?" Gregor asked Larry, scanning the halls in search of someone who did not seem to be in sight. "Where's Angelina?"

"She's not here. Some performing arts (thanks for catching that, I did want the technical term!) school gave her a scholarship for their high school junior program." Larry shrugged. "She has to go there during the morning every day this semester, but she said to tell you she'll meet us at lunchtime in the cafeteria."

"Good," Gregor nodded, then glanced at his watch. "I've got to get Chandra to the principal's office. See you at lunch, sooner if we've got classes together."

"All right. See you later. Good luck with your first day of school, Chandra."

"Thank you," she said, a little belatedly, as the boy had already vanished into the river of students.

"Here we are," Gregor said a moment later, pushing open a door marked _"Principal's Office" _in sharp black letters on the window.

The secretary sitting behind the desk inside glanced up from her work, fingers continuing to fly across the computer keyboard as she asked, "Can I help you?"

"Um, yes, my cousin Chandra is here to pick up her schedule. And if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could our lockers be assigned near each other?"

"Locker assignments were made two weeks ago, I can't change them." A hint of sympathy in her voice was overcast with disinterest, and she flipped through a few folders on her desk, pulling one out and handing it to Chandra before turning back to her work. "Hope you have a good day." Her tone made it clear she meant the words as a dismissal and not a genuine desire. Gregor hurried Chandra out of the office.

"Let me see your schedule," he said, all but snatching it from the girl's hands, and Chandra didn't bother to protest. Already she felt overwhelmed by the whole business of going to school, and she hadn't even stepped inside a classroom yet.

"I don't think this is a good idea," she muttered, leaning on a wall and pressing her fingers against her aching temples. "Gregor, isn't there another way around this school thing? There's too much noise, too many people. . ." She shook her head, feeling a panic attack rising and unsure if she could stop it from taking control. Her wings tensed, begging to be released, and Chandra wrapped her hands around her backpack straps, needing something solid to cling to. "Gregor?" Glancing toward her friend, the girl was horrified to find herself alone in the general chaos of the first day of school. The boy, who'd been standing beside her a few seconds before, had vanished.

Asthma had never been something she'd dreamed of suffering, but suddenly Chandra felt she knew exactly how a victim of the disease did. Lungs constricting, she gasped for air in the stifled environment, but terror brought a lump to her throat that air could not pass around. Shaking, the girl fell to her knees and wrapped her arms around herself, unable to stop a small whimper from escaping her mouth. _So much for not standing out,_ grumbled the still functioning part of her brain. _Should stop this at once and try to find Gregor with my hearing..._

"Hey, are you all right?" A hand descended upon her shoulder, too close to her right wing for comfort, and Chandra jumped to her feet, striking out with her fist. Just in time she yanked the punch back, barely missing the face belonging to the blond girl who had shown concern for her well-being.

"I am fine," Chandra choked, swallowing with difficulty. "Just...need a little fresh air, that's all." She made to walk toward the front doors; unable to stand the idea of spending the day inside, but the girl stopped her with a swift tightening of her grip.

"Wait a minute, I saw you come in with Gregor. Are you friends with him?" Green eyes met Chandra's darting grey ones and narrowed. "I don't know why he'd hang out with a freak like you."

With a sharp jerk, Chandra broke the girl's hold and took a step backwards, frowning. "I doubt he wastes the time of day on _you_." Not waiting for a reply, she spun on her heel and stalked away down the hall, letting the anger she felt bury her fear. Ignoring the curses spat in her direction when she bumped or pushed by someone, Chandra concentrated on her hearing, wincing with pain as the hallway sounds increased in intensity but continuing her search all the same for the certain voice she wanted to hear. There, at the end of the hall, third room on the left. The girl quickened her pace and entered the room a moment later to find Gregor speaking with the teacher. Impatient, Chandra nevertheless stood in silence near the doorway until her friend had finished talking.

"Thank you," the boy said at last, and turned to go, relief flaring in his eyes upon seeing the girl standing there. "Chandra, where have you been? You stopped following me and I lost you in the crowd. I was just about to come find you." He frowned at the girl's sour expression. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing. We should get to class. Can I have my schedule back?" Taking the paper with a quick thanks, Chandra checked her first period and found she had Algebra II in room 312. That class at least would be no problem; she had always excelled at math. However, she had to be in the room to take it, and the girl had no idea how the school building was laid out. "Where's room 312?"

"You've got the same schedule I do," Gregor replied, nudging her out the door. "Come on, we've got to hurry or we'll be late to class."

That turned out to not be a problem, because when they reached the classroom a few minutes after the tardy bell rang, panting for breath, they found the other students in the class talking, laughing and throwing paper airplanes back and forth. There was no sign at all of the teacher, so Gregor took a moment to catch his breath before leading the way to a couple of empty seats near the back, calling hellos to a few kids who greeted him by name.

"Wonder where the teacher is, he should be here by now," the boy murmured, sitting down.

Chandra shrugged and took a seat, then sent a surreptitious glance around the classroom, eyebrows rising as she did so. "Is it usually this..."

"Crazy?" Gregor supplied. "No, they're only doing this because the teacher isn't here. Soon as he arrives, they'll settle down fast."

True to his word, when the teacher came bustling through the door, hair in disarray and papers flying everywhere, the students quieted. Paper airplanes thumped against walls and the floor, crumpling their noses, as their owners released them for one last toss while the teacher gathered the dropped papers and organized them in a neat pile on the otherwise empty desk. Chandra shrank down in her seat, wishing she could vanish, because she knew that as soon as the man looked up, she would be done for.

Unfortunately for her, Dr. Delinz had not given up hope of finding the girl, who, being a valuable experiment, had probably cost the woman a year's pay or even a promotion. Perhaps she'd been demoted as well. Whatever the reason, several of her men had been left behind to infiltrate places where Chandra might come, and the school had been one such target.

_What should I do? My appearance is so distinctive he'll recognize me on sight. I wouldn't be able to run out the door fast enough for him to not notice._ Chandra glanced at the nearest window. _It's a two story drop__;__ I'd have to fly if I went that way._ She sighed inwardly; that was no more an option than running for it.

A strange, piercing buzz sounded over the speakers, and Gregor gasped, jumping to his feet as the other students did. Startled, Chandra remained seated for a brief moment, but the boy grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the door, where everyone was headed. The teacher ushered everyone out, not seeming to notice Chandra, who was in the middle of the small crowd that merged with a much bigger one obstructing the hallways. Teachers were shouting directions and doing their best to keep the students moving along.

"What is that sound?" Chandra hissed, covering her ears, which ached from the loud noise.

"Fire alarm," replied her friend, raising his voice in order to be heard over the general hubbub. "I don't think a drill was scheduled for today, so this must be the real thing." He didn't sound too worried, so the girl did her best to quell the fear rising at the thought of being trapped in a burning building.

_Although he wouldn't be worried about anything much smaller than a worldwide pandemic, not here in the Overland_, the girl noted, sighing. _He's experienced many terrible things in the Underland, more than I could ever imagine. A small fire is nothing._

At last the crowd began to pour from the designated exits, hurried along by calm but firm commands from the scattered teachers, and once outside, Chandra felt much better, no longer buried under the smothering folds of claustrophobia. Her wings ached to spread and take her away, far away from the possibility of danger, but she fought back that instinct with a small shudder, and lined up with the other students at the far side of the playground. Teachers began taking headcounts, ensuring that everyone had gotten out.

Sirens wailed as emergency vehicles from fire engines to ambulances dashed into the school parking lot. Firemen and EMTs poured out and ran to wherever they were needed. A few students were having panic attacks, several girls had fainted, and the medics dealt with these and other cases with a speed and precision that Chandra remembered all too well from her years in a lab. Turning away from the unsettling sight, the girl watched hoses unroll and thicken with water before they began spewing their contents onto the flames, which were flickering up one wall. The fire's origin appeared to be a large green Dumpster sitting against the school, and Chandra frowned.

_Is this a freak accident, or was the fire set on purpose?_ she wondered, eyes flicking toward the parking lot, where some police cars were parking now. It seemed unlikely that a fire could have started by accident inside a Dumpster, yet she could not find a good reason for someone to burn down a school. _An arsonist, maybe?_

"We better leave," Gregor whispered in her ear, plucking at the girl's sleeve. "Good thing you have your backpack with you. I don't want to be around when the reporters show up."

"What about the headcount? If we're missing-"

"They already counted us, don't worry. Come on, follow me." Instead of heading toward the school's main street entrance, which was being blocked off with crime scene tape by a police officer, the boy led Chandra across the playground and into a small stand of trees. After walking behind the next building and cutting through an alleyway, they reached the street and Gregor started down the sidewalk at a brisk pace.

After a few moments of silence Gregor spoke up. "I'm sorry your first day was so bad," he apologized, earning a laugh from Chandra.

"Don't worry about it," said the girl, shaking her head. "Actually..." She bit her lip, wondering if she should involve her friend any further in her personal troubles, then decided he had the right to know of the danger she was in. "The alarm had perfect timing, because our 'teacher' in that class works for Dr. Delinz."

"_What?_" Gregor gasped, stopping in the middle of his tracks from sheer surprise. "What do you mean, he works for Dr. Delinz? I thought she left New York ages ago. Could you have been wrong?"

"No. If it had been someone else, maybe I wouldn't have noticed, but I've seen him enough times to be sure. He works for Dr. Delinz and he'll know me on sight." Chandra sighed and twirled a few strands of her ash-colored hair around a finger. "I think I should dye my hair."

"That might be a good idea," the boy agreed. "You got a lot of odd looks today in the first few minutes of school. Dark hair would change your appearance enough to fool the casual observer. However, there is the problem of your eyes. Grey's not a common color."

"I know." Chandra sighed. She was not looking forward to coloring her hair, but there wasn't much choice. "The dye will have to do for now, I'm not wearing contacts."

"We can talk to Mom about the dye when we get home." Gregor checked his watch, then headed for a marked crosswalk. "Let's pick some up now. What shade do you want? Light brown? Dark brown? Black? Red? You could do something outlandish like green or blue; that might draw attention away from your eyes."

Chandra wrinkled her nose. "While keeping the attention on me. Brown would be better; something non-descriptive."

They continued discussing possible hair colors during the ten minute, six block walk to the drugstore nearest the apartment complex where they lived. By the time they reached the store, no decision had been reached, and viewing the long row of shelves devoted to hair colors, Chandra felt slightly faint. After some careful perusing of the different browns, she grabbed a box at random and headed for the checkout counter, where the cashier rang it up while Gregor pulled out his wallet and extracted enough bills to pay for their purchase.


	3. Good Weather, Bad News

...having a slight case of writer's block at the moment. Chapter Four might be a while.

Many thanks to my beta, Mep, for her constant support and help in making this fic as good as it is!

(edited 19/5/2011)

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Chapter Three

Good Weather, Bad News

Walking toward the apartment, Chandra slowed her pace and tilted her head back to drink in the warm morning sunshine. Except for damp patches here and there on the pavement, there was no sign of the rain from the night before. It seemed the weather had decided to clear up for a bit, though - it being autumn - the girl doubted this would last for long. She planned on savoring every second of it, even more so now that she did not have to worry about the school. Gregor had explained that it would probably be a few days before they resumed classes, especially if the fire seemed suspicious. That was a major relief, and Chandra could only hope that she would find Tyn within that short amount of time.

_It's been two weeks, though,_ she reminded herself. _And I haven't seen him once, just heard reports of sightings that fit his description. My chances of finding him in the next few days are close to nil. I wish I could return to the Underland. Life is so much simpler there. I wonder what Twitchtongue is up to? Training or guard duty again? Hope Ripred isn't going too hard on him. I bet Luxa's bored to death with being queen. She'd probably trade places with me if she could. I'd almost rather be ruling an entire species, rather than searching for a single creature, but..._ A smile flickered at the corners of Chandra's mouth. _I don't have the skills for something like that._ The smile disappeared. _I can't even fight. All I did during the battle against the chewers was sing._ She rubbed her throat, remembering that day in perfect clarity, down to a phantom pain that fluttered in her chest.

Gregor yanked the girl out of the path of an oncoming stroller – the mother pushing it did not even seem to notice the two teens, intent on getting wherever she was headed as fast as she could possibly go. The sudden jolt brought Chandra back to reality, and she relinquished her thoughts for the moment, concentrating on navigating the dizzying crowds that lined the city's streets. It was with a great sigh of relief that the girl stepped through the apartment complex's front door, a few steps behind her friend. The man at the desk barely glanced up from his newspaper and gave them a short nod before diving back into the sports section.

Avoiding the elevator, which had an ever-present OUT OF ORDER sign taped to the door and an electrician poking at a tangle of wires behind the control box beside the call button, the teens dashed up the stairs. Taking the steps two at a time and bursting through the front door, startling Gregor's mother, who had just settled down on the couch with a book and a cup of tea.

Placing her tea on the coffee table and frowning, the woman demanded, "What are you two doing home so early? You aren't in trouble, are you?" Her eyes widened and both hands flew to her mouth as a thought occurred to her. "Don't tell me that crazy scientist found you, Chandra!"

"Not exactly." Chandra sank to the floor beside the muted television while Gregor sat on an empty armchair. She took a deep breath and explained. "Our math teacher works for Dr. Delinz, but a fire alarm went off just before he saw me, so Gregor and I were able to slip away. We picked up some hair dye on the way here. I'm going to use it now." She began to stand, but Grace gestured for her to sit back down.

"Don't get up yet, you're white as a ghost, and Gregor doesn't look much better. I think you two could use some milk and cookies." Returning a moment later with a tray that held two full glasses of frothy white liquid and a large plate of gingersnaps, the woman set it down on the table beside her tea and sank into the couch, scooping up her hot drink with a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you two are okay. No one was hurt, right? Everyone got out safely?"

"I think so," Gregor said. "The firemen looked like they had it mostly under control by the time we left."

"Maybe there's something on the news." Grace pressed a button on the TV remote and sound blasted from the television's speakers, making Chandra start and cover her ears hastily, a deep grimace etched into her face. "Sorry," the woman's apologized, turning the volume down.

Ears ringing, Chandra began to move away from the television, freezing mid-step when her ears caught the newscaster's voice.

"_...a special interview with the men who claim they shot the mysterious giant bird last night. Welcome, Mr. Newton and Mr. Anders."_

Whirling around, the girl sank to her knees, less from the fact it made seeing the TV screen easier than because her legs refused to support her weight at the moment.

_ "Just call us Rick and Tom."_ The speaker looked like a friendly, middle-aged man, the kind who might offer to help someone whose car had broken down. His companion was no less pleasant, and neither seemed the type who would shoot at something with just cause.

_Could Tyn have attacked someone? No one's said so yet, but maybe he..._ Chandra brushed away the thoughts gathering in her head and focused on the interview. _Please let Tyn be all right._

The woman interviewing them folded her hands in her lap and smiled, like they weren't discussing the shooting of an intelligent creature. _"Rick, could you explain a little more about the circumstances before you shot the bird?"_

Reminding herself that they didn't know Tyn was intelligent did not help Chandra's grief in the least. Intelligent or not, he was flying in a world that considered strange things dangerous. It had really only been a matter of time before he got shot at, or worse, captured. So far no hint of that having happened, but it was more than a possibility now that the hooter was injured.

_"Sure, no problem. Tom and I had been out in the country, hunting all day without any luck, and it had started to get dark when this massive shadow swept across the field we were standing in. Looking up, we saw the thing blot out the sun as it went past, and I thought it was plane about to crash but Tom..."_

Tom picked up the story without bidding. _"I could see the wings flapping up and down and started yelling that it was the giant bird everyone was going on about. It was much larger than I'd imagined, could have had me for lunch if it wanted,"_ he patted his rather large stomach and laughed _"and Rick for dessert. So we start shooting. Now, it's getting really dark, and I'm having trouble seeing because my night vision isn't too good, but all of a sudden Rick is screaming that he'd hit it, and the bird takes off like a rocket, making a tremendous racket. It curved around at the edge of the field and came straight at us, but Rick shot two more times, and it flew away, sort of limping in the air, like one of its wings had been damaged."_

Eyes wide with horror, Chandra covered her mouth, gritting her teeth against the tears gathering in her eyes. The men and woman became blurry splotches in her vision, but she could still hear every word clear as day. Tyn was injured, maybe worse than the men had described, and that was bad enough. The fact they'd been in the country made things worse. She'd been cruising the city, but of course Tyn wouldn't have stayed there for long. Why would he? There was plenty to eat in the country, little, unless you liked garbage or rats, in the city. Thinking about the occasional reported sightings, the girl realized they'd all been near the city's edge, closest to the countryside, and Chandra felt ready to throw up. So certain he was in the city, she had overlooked the hints that had been sent her way, and now the hooter had been injured.

The men and their interviewer continued to speak, but Chandra tuned them out in favor of ideas churning in her mind. Soon as it was dark out, she would go search the country surrounding the city, not stopping until she found Tyn. Then the girl would spend as much time as necessary to convince the hooter to return to the Underland.

"Chandra?" Grace's concerned tone managed to catch her attention, and the girl glanced over her shoulder, the sheer pain on her face making the woman inhale sharply. "Chandra, is that your friend they're speaking of?"

"Know any other giant birds that might be flying around right now?" the girl asked bitterly. "That's got to be Tyn. I have to find him now, before everyone and his brother starts to look for the mysterious, injured giant bird. Everyone will want to be the first to capture him." She stood up, hands clenched into fists. "They won't, though, because I'll find him first and take him home." Turning on her heel, she stalked out of the living room.

In the kitchen, Chandra rummaged in the fridge, eventually pulling a jar of strawberry jam. A couple bread slices from the bag in the breadbox joined the jam jar on the counter, then the girl grabbed a spoon from the silverware drawer and proceeded to slap together a quick sandwich. Munching on her makeshift lunch, Chandra returned the jam jar to the fridge and dumped the spoon in the sink, then headed for the guest room, formerly Gregor's grandmother's room.

A few months before the girl had arrived in NYC, the old woman had become sick with a bad flu, and despite their doctor's best efforts, had passed away a few weeks after contracting the illness. Despite assurances from Gregor, his parents, and his sisters that she was welcome to stay with them for as long as she needed, Chandra felt terrible about barging into their lives and taking over the room that had until recently been used by a beloved family member.

It also made her commitment to finding Tyn even stronger. Thinking about that, the girl flopped on the bed and stared gloomily at the ceiling, not caring about the crumbs she was spilling. She'd clean the mess up later. At the moment her thoughts were focused on the most important information she'd gathered that day. First, Tyn was spending his time more in the country than the city, which made sense now that she thought about it. Second, he was injured, which made him more susceptible to being caught, not a good thing. Third, she knew the general area where he'd been hurt, which would make finding him much easier. This was both the best and worst news she'd had in a while concerning the hooter. Chandra turned her head to watch the seconds tick past on the little clock sitting beside the nightstand's lamp. Not even ten in the morning yet, and six in the evening was really the earliest she dared go out. _It's only eight hours, he should be fine until then,_ the girl told herself, but couldn't quite believe it. Every crazy UFO lover in the entire city – and possibly nearby towns and cities – was going to be out searching for him before long.

A knock on the door startled her, and Chandra hesitated before calling, "Who is it?"

"It's Gregor, may I come in?"

"Sure," Chandra replied, sitting up and swallowing the last bite of her sandwich as she waited for him to open the door and walk in. He sat down on the chair beside the small desk that had been moved into the room for her use, and hesitated before voicing his thoughts.

"I know you're worried about Tyn, but it's going to be very dangerous during the next few days, with all the crazies out looking for him. Not that I'm saying you should stop your search, but maybe you could do it on foot, or take a break for a couple of days? Flying around right now with who knows what kind of people wandering the streets with guns, wanting to a shot at the giant bird..." Gregor held up his hands as the girl, bristling with rage, started to protest. "Hear me out, would you?" he pleaded. "You won't do Tyn any good lying in a dark alley, bleeding to death, or stuck in a laboratory."

"I know that," said Chandra, folding her arms. "But I won't stop hunting for him until I find him, crazies or no crazies. I'd rather die than let him get taken by someone like Dr. Delinz."

"You're right, so I'm coming with you tonight," her friend said in a firm voice that brooked no argument. "And if you sneak out without me, I'll be waiting when you get back with tranquilizer and a one way ticket back to the Underland. If Tyn wants to get himself killed flying around highly populated areas, that's his own problem, but my parents will never forgive me if you get yourself killed on what's turning into a wild goose chase, and neither will Ripred, Twitchtongue, or even Luxa."

"Luxa doesn't like me all that much, I doubt she'd care," Chandra muttered under her breath.

"Actually, she likes you more than you know, especially since you two have something in common – you're both orphans."

The girl shook her head. "I'm not an orphan. I never had parents in the first place."

Gregor shrugged. "All right, then. Forget I said anything. The important thing right now is getting Tyn back to the Underland, right? The sooner the better, now that everyone's starting to show interest in him. That's bound to get the government's attention, and if they get involved..."

Chandra shuddered at the thought, but still insisted, "I don't need help."

"You've been saying that for two weeks, and your biggest lead so far just showed up about ten minutes ago on a news broadcast that everyone in New York, if not the entire US, has probably seen by now. If you want Tyn alive and safe, you're going to need all the help you can get."

"Fine," Chandra said, throwing her hands in the air. "Come if you want."

"Thank you for inviting me," Gregor said, not entirely sounding like he meant it, then he left without another word.

The girl returned to staring at the ceiling and sighed. _This is something I have to do on my own. He doesn't have any right to butt in. But...he's right about one thing – the government gets involved, Tyn's doomed for sure._ A quick glance at her clock revealed it was just after ten. Still almost eight hours to go. Suddenly it felt like an eternity.


	4. Tricking Trouble

Wow, not even quite a month since I last updated!

It's all thanks to my wonderful beta, Mep. Her input helped me defeat (for a while) the writer's block plaguing me, hence this chapter. THANK YOU, MEP!

Unfortunately, the writer's block has returned, complicated by the arrival of NaNoWriMo and some problems in RL. Next chapter might be a while in coming...

Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and/or faving - I am delighted you enjoy this story enough to do so.

(edited 19/5/2011)

* * *

Chapter Four

Tricking Trouble

Glowing numbers flicked past her eyes so slowly Chandra thought at times that the clock had stopped. She wished it showed seconds so there would be something to distract her during the middle half of each minute, but toward the end the girl began counting them off in her head, a quiet ticking in her ears only she could hear. Minute by minute, the hours were slipping past, and outside Chandra knew the sun had almost fallen beyond the horizon. Soon she would be able to leave the apartment on her search, but first there was something – or, rather, someone – to deal with.

Outside her door, tiny noises told the girl that Gregor stood guard there, not about to let her leave alone. However much she appreciated his offer of aid, though, Chandra did not want to risk her friend's life as well as her own that night. So, as the squarish green numerals changed from 5:59 to 6:00, the girl stood, pulled on her jacket, and tucked a jackknife Gregor's father had loaned her into an empty pocket. Granola bar wrappers crackled in another pocket, and Chandra took a second to dig out the empty ones and dispose of them in her wastebasket.

Deciding she was prepared for a night long flight, the girl left her room boldly, giving Gregor a short nod and heading for the bathroom. She managed to get inside and shut the door before the boy could speak, and congratulated herself on overcoming that first obstacle. Now she needed to reach the kitchen unhindered. A smile hovered uncertainly at the edge of her mouth, as Chandra wasn't sure if she was going to enjoy the next part of her plan. Her mischievous side had cheered at the idea when the girl first came up with it, but the more serious side could already hear the scolding she would get from Gregor and his parents.

It took most of a roll of toilet paper and three flush attempts before Chandra managed to plug the toilet, which seemed to have been designed in a manner that resisted plugging no matter how much stuff got dumped in. Gregor began shifting uneasily where he stood, and the girl sighed, then turned the sink on to wash her hands. _If he catches on, I'm going to be in a lot of trouble_. Taking a deep breath, she glanced at the mirror, pulled a face, replaced the comical look with one of panic, then opened the door.

"Gregor, could you give me a hand? I think the toilet's plugged. It won't flush and the water level's getting high."

Frowning, the boy left his post beside her door and went into the bathroom, peering into the toilet with a wrinkled nose. "I'll have to get the plunger," he said, heading for the broom closet, and while he was busy poking around in the mess of buckets, brooms and mops, Chandra fled for the kitchen. Slipping into the dark room, she grabbed a glass and set it in the sink under the faucet. If luck was on her side – and so far, it seemed to be that sort of night – Gregor would think she was getting a drink, at least until the water began overflowing the glass and into sink. That gave her about half a minute to get outside. Without hesitating, the girl turned the doorknob carefully so it didn't click and alert her friend to her deception, then slipped out, closing the door.

Once in the hallway, all pretenses of sneaking about vanished, and Chandra dashed for the stairs, taking them two, then three at a time, concentrating on her pounding footsteps in case Gregor came after her. If he shouted for her, the girl wanted to be able to say in all honesty that she hadn't heard him.

The night guard sitting behind the desk in the lobby glanced up at the sound of running and watched in confusion as a girl dashed past. It was easy to recognize her by the white hair, and not for the first time, the man wondered why she always came and went so late in the day. He did not have much time to ponder the matter, though – his phone rang, drawing his attention away, and Chandra sped across the lobby and through the door, letting it slam behind her even as she headed down the sidewalk.

* * *

It was a cold night, and Chandra huddled in her jacket, wishing she had taken the heavier coat she'd left behind. Clouds obscured the full moon, making the shadows darker. After walking for over an hour, the girl began to wish she'd let Gregor come, or at least had taken his advice to stay home. Without the comforting patter of rain or even the soft whisper of wind, every sound seemed magnified. A door slamming or the crash of a trash can being knocked over by foraging animals made Chandra flinch. When a police car sailed by, sirens wailing, the girl panicked and ran down the nearest alleyway, straight into someone.

"Whatcha got?" snickered a male's voice from nearby, even as an iron grip grabbed her arm.

"Let me-" Chandra's cry was cut off by a large grimy hand clamped over her mouth. Her scream for help died in her throat, and the girl began to struggle fruitlessly against her opponent's superior strength, trying to reach with her free hand the knife in her pocket. Another hand clamped around the flailing arm's wrist, and someone chuckled.

"Looks like a little chick that's lost her way. Let's have a light, Squint, so we can see our catch."

A flashlight beam flicked on and shone in Chandra's face, temporarily blinding her.

"She's a pretty one."

More laughter. "Need a place to stay tonight, sweetheart? Me and the gang would welcome the company. Seeing as it's so cold tonight, we could all use a little warming up."

Chandra continued to pull away, kicking out in hopes of hitting a tender spot, but the blows fell on thin air, earning more coarse remarks and general humor from her captors. _This is bad, really bad. Why didn't I listen to Gregor?_ Swallowing hard, the girl pushed such thoughts away for later. _Maybe I could burst their eardrums with sound? Not likely, echolocation doesn't work like that. I'd settle for being able to scream... (separated the paragraph, how's this?)_

A sharp jerk of her head came close to freeing her mouth, and Chandra twisted to the left and pulled again. Her right shoulder screamed from pain but she gained enough mobility to open her mouth and bite down hard, grimacing at the horrible taste. Her victim let out a shout and removed his hand, cursing, and the girl took the brief moment of freedom to scream as loud as possible before her other captor clamped his free hand around her mouth, squeezing the jaw painfully.

"Nice try, girly, but it won't do you any good. Ain't any police officers around here and it's unlikely you'll get help from the random passerby. They don't like messing with me or my gang at night."

"Unfortunately for you, I'm not a 'random passerby'," snapped an unfamiliar voice, and Chandra's heart leapt in hopes of rescue. "Let her go and I won't call the cops."

"There's two of us and one of you," one of the men retorted. "You'll be dead before you can push the send button."

"I've got a gun." A blurry glint of silver caught Chandra's eye as her night vision slowly returned. "With a silencer. I doubt anyone would miss two street bums like yourselves. Now make yourself scarce before I lose my patience and pull the trigger."

"No need to get serious, we were just having a little fun." The man threw Chandra on the ground. Almost as soon as her hands touched the gravel, he and his companion were dashing for the other end of the alley, obviously not about to wait and see if the man would carry out his threat.

Wincing, Chandra pushed herself into a sitting position, keeping a wary eye on her gun-wielding captor. Grateful as she was for his intervention, the girl had no idea whether his reasons for interfering were honorable or as immoral as her former captors' had been.

"No need to be worried," the man said, secreting away his weapon and holding out a hand. "I suggest you head home, those men were nothing compared to some things this city hides. Come on, I don't bite," he added when Chandra ignored his hand and scrambled to her feet.

"Thanks for the help," she said grudgingly, grasping his hand to give it quick shake, only to have cool metal slapped around her wrists with a sharp click. "What-"

"Don't scream," the man said, once again holding his gun, this time pointing it at the girl's head. "I'll shoot, orders or no orders."

A few high-pitched clicks, out of the human's hearing range, brought a silvery image to Chandra's mind, and she bit back a groan of frustration. If she had thought to check his identity before being so trusting, she would have discovered her rescuer was none other than her math teacher, the undercover spy for Dr. Delinz. Choice curses rolled over her tongue, but she swallowed them back and settled for glaring at the man, who simply chuckled and put his gun away, then pulled out a limp white cloth.

"Don't want you to struggle during the car trip, so take a nice big breath," he said, clamping the damp fabric over her mouth.

Chandra held her breath and took the short opportunity he'd given her to kick the man hard in a very sensitive place. Inhaling sharply, the man dropped the cloth and released his hold on the handcuffs in order to clutch the injured area, giving the girl just enough time to spread her wings and take off. Flying proved difficult with her arms bound in front of her, and she had to land a few streets away, unable to maintain her balance. Running was simpler, and Chandra covered the five blocks between herself and the apartment complex in record time, bursting through the front door and dashing up the stairs before the night guard could see her handcuffed status or the tears in her jacket.

Gregor opened the door almost before she knocked, and stared at the white-faced girl who stood panting in the hallway. "What happened?" he demanded, ushering her inside and shutting the door.

"Some men grabbed me while I was headed out of the city and another man came along with a gun and made them let me go-" Chandra stopped babbling when her friend raised a hand, shaking his head.

"Slow down," he said, pushing her toward the kitchen. "And sit down before you collapse." Noticing the handcuffs for the first time, the boy added, a dazed look on his face, "Where did _those_ come from?"

"Courtesy of our new math teacher," Chandra said, sinking into a chair beside the kitchen table. "Something tells me I won't be the teacher's pet in that class."


	5. Fire in the Frying Pan

Meant to have this chapter up a little sooner, but life got in the way...

Thanks as always to my awesome beta Mep!

Thanks also to you all, for faves, alerts, and especially reviews - they always make me smile.

(edited 19/5/2011)

* * *

Chapter Five

Fire in the Frying Pan

Their school reopened the next day. Gregor woke Chandra a little after four in order to get her ready in time. Freshly-dyed hair still damp from the final rinse, the girl washed down her last bite of cereal with the milk remaining in her bowl.

"I'll take care of that," Lizzy said, scooping up the dirty dishes. "Have fun at school, Chandra." Her sentence was punctuated loudly by the clatter of dishes in the sink.

"Ngh," the older girl replied, rubbing sleep-fogged eyes. _How can she be so bright and cheerful this early?_ Yawning, Chandra managed an almost coherent, "Thanks," then allowed Gregor to drag her toward the door. He threw a coat and backpack at her before donning on his own. Basic motor skills had returned enough that Chandra was able to struggle into her coat by herself; the backpack straps proved too difficult, though, and she simply slung the pack over one shoulder. It wasn't like there was a ton of stuff inside, anyway.

Their homeroom teacher had been replaced, it was no longer the man who had worked with Dr. Delinz, but Chandra couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched all day. By the time the final bell rang, she was jumping at every loud noise and glancing over her shoulder so often it had become an automatic twitch. When Gregor walked up behind her and tapped the girl's arm, she spun around, already raising a fist before she recognized her friend and relaxed slightly.

"Sorry, Gregor," she apologized, face reddening as whispers sprang up among the teens standing in small groups nearby – many were glancing in her direction with raised eyebrows or wide eyes. "I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it, I've been almost as jumpy as you are," he said, glancing down the hall behind her. His voice lowered. "You haven't seen that guy, have you?"

"Not since he handcuffed me last night," Chandra replied with a shudder.

"Then let's head back to the apartment. I don't feel like hanging around here today." Sweeping his gaze across the hall once more, Gregor headed toward the front door, Chandra right behind him.

The walk back was a quiet one. Chandra kept her head down and avoided eye contact with everyone – unless she wore contact lenses, which irritated her eyes, she could easily be recognized by their unusual light grey color. _Maybe I should __start wearing them, anyway__,_ she mused, but the idea didn't appeal to her anymore than it did when Gregor suggested it a few minutes later.

"Why don't you wear contact lenses? Then no one would have a chance of recognizing you, because they'll be looking for grey hair and eyes."

"Contacts hurt my eyes," she replied, sighing. "I've considered the idea, but the cons are slightly more than the pros at the moment."

"How slightly?"

The girl shrugged. "I don't want to permanently damage my sight."

"Is that possible?"

"I don't know."

Gregor shook his head. "Maybe you should be sick tomorrow."

"That would ruin my plans-" Chandra stopped mid-sentence and grinned, realizing what her friend was trying to imply. "Actually, that would be perfect. I need to find Tyn and get him home as soon as possible, especially if he's injured."

"Some of my friends were talking about that today and said that there's been no sign of the monster bird since it got shot."

"That could be good, or bad." Chandra twirled some hair around one finger, frowning. "All right, you can come with me tonight, but you better keep up. I can't waste time waiting for you."

"No problem," promised Gregor, patting her shoulder. "We'll find him tonight. I've got a good feeling about it."

"I hope you're right," said the girl, tipping her head so she could check on the already setting sun. Despite knowing it would do no good, she willed it to go down faster.

* * *

After the previous night's incident, Gregor's parents were not pleased about letting either Chandra or their son to leave the apartment once the sun had set. Catching the two about to sneak out, Grace and her husband marched the friends into the living room for a talk.

"You can't go on like this," said Grace firmly. "You were lucky last night, but even Gregor can't protect you from bullets. Chandra, your friend is going to have to fend for himself if he won't allow you to find him."

"He might be hurt," the girl protested, folding her hands in her lap so tightly that the knuckles turned white. "Gregor can stay if you want, but I won't leave Tyn out there all alone. You don't know what those people will do to him if they catch him..." Tears started to leak out of her eyes at the thought, and she paused to take a calming breath.

"Actually, I do," said Gregor's dad, surprising Chandra, as he didn't speak much. "I was a prisoner in the Underland for several years and I am sure that your scientists can be no worse than the rats that held me captive."

"They're worse, much worse," the girl said, hands unfolding so they could curl into fists. "They created me in a test tube, like so many others that didn't make it past the first few days. Grew me from a petri dish, then did so many experiments on me that I couldn't tell you half the things that might have gone wrong and be killing me as I speak. Imagine what they would do to an animal, who doesn't even bear a slight resemblance to a human. Some things they might have done to me didn't happen because I still looked like a child, whatever I actually was. Tyn doesn't have that sort of protection. He won't even exist as a person in most of their eyes, if anyone's. I've seen what they do to animals." A haunted look filled her eyes and she closed them for a moment, fighting to dispel unwanted memories rising from the depths of her mind. "Believe me, whatever the rats did to you, they would seem like saints when compared to those people."

Gregor and his parents were stunned to silence for a moment, with Grace being the first to break the awkward silence. Reaching across from the couch, she placed a hand over Chandra's fists. "Just promise me you will be careful."

Startled grey eyes met sad brown ones, and Chandra nodded slowly. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Grace said, shaking her head. "I shouldn't be letting you do this, but Gregor's already proven that being young doesn't mean you can be kept at home and protected."

"Mom," the teen groaned, burying his face in his hands. "It wasn't your fault I fell into the Underland and ended up being some great warrior of prophecy."

"We should get going," Chandra said, hiding a smile. Now wasn't the time for humor. "I don't know when we'll be back, please don't feel like you have to wait up."

"We will anyway," Grace said, flicking on the television. "Good luck."

"Thank you," said the girl for the second time in as many minutes, then left with her friend, shutting the apartment door carefully behind her. In the hall she squared her shoulders and glanced at Gregor. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," he said. "Though I wish I could have brought my sword."

"Wouldn't do you much good, being broken," Chandra pointed out.

Gregor shrugged. "When I'm in rager mode, anything works as a weapon."

"Oh." Chandra fell silent. They didn't speak until they had reached the lobby and exited through the front door, ignoring the surprised night guard who glanced up from his newspaper just in time to see them walk out. Once on the street, the girl chose a direction at random and they began walking, keeping an eye out for muggers or anyone else who looked suspicious.

"I don't usually go out at night," Gregor said, eyes darting from one pedestrian to another. "Now I can't believe what an idiot I was, letting you go out on your own. You must have a lot of lucky stars to have made it back alive so many times."

"Usually I found a place to take off, and flew most of the time," Chandra replied in a low voice, not wanting a casual passerby to hear what she was saying. "But you can't do that, so we're stuck walking."

"How did they manage to mug you, then?"

"Jumped me before I had taken off," said the girl, eyes narrowing. "It won't happen again, though. Next time, I'll be ready and the only thing they'll get are some very sore spots from a few well-placed kicks."

"Just remember that if we get into a fight, you need to stay away from me," Gregor warned. "If I go into rager mode, I can't always control it, and you could get hurt."

"No problem," Chandra said. "I plan on taking to the air if we get attacked."

"That wouldn't be a good idea."

"Better than getting shot or stabbed," snapped the girl, drawing looks from nearby pedestrians. Her face reddened and she moved a step closer to her friend, who quickened his pace.

"I think you better watch what you say," Gregor murmured, stuffing his hands into his jean pockets. With his sweatshirt's hood pulled up and slightly slumped way of walking, he looked like a normal hooligan wandering the streets at night. Chandra imagined what she must look like and decided she probably looked a lot less sinister in the large coat that hid her wings and the old running shoes she had borrowed from Grace.

A group of about six young men rounded the street corner ahead of them, and Gregor changed directions slightly, headed for a painted crosswalk nearby as though that had been his destination all along. Chandra followed, keeping a close eye on the gang, who all sported spiked hair and pierced ears. They were laughing and talking together, but the one with pink hair suddenly met her eyes and the cold look in his gaze made her quicken her step.

"Gregor," she hissed, hearing the fear in her voice and hating it. "I think we better run."

"Not yet," he whispered, glancing up and down the road, keeping an eye on the approaching gang.

Bits of their conversation reached Chandra's ears and she shivered.

"Those two...good targets." This came from the only one with a nose piercing.

Pink hair spoke. "-relieve them...money."

"No sign of a purse-" started a third, running a hand through the spikes on his head.

Pink interrupted him. "...good enough."

The gang drew closer, their conversation falling silent and hands reaching into jacket and jean pockets.

"Gregor!"

"Now!" He dashed out, almost in front of an oncoming car, dragging his friend along by the hand. Chandra screamed as the headlights blinded her, shielding them too late with one hand and stumbling over the curb as Gregor pulled her off the street.

"Hurry," he gasped, and they ran down the sidewalk, hearing cries from their pursuers, who had not been fooled and were following at a pace that would soon allow them to catch up.

"We're not going to make it," Chandra panted, fighting the urge to spread her wings and fly. She couldn't leave Gregor alone. Rager or not, five men with knives – maybe even guns – was too many to take on alone, even for him.

Gregor's eyes were hard with determination. "Then fly. I can handle them."

"No way," Chandra said, and grabbed his wrist when he tried to pull away. "We both escape or neither of us does."

Just as the gang had almost caught up a piercing shriek split the air, causing several of the young men to grab their ears and shout in pain. Lights flickered on in several windows along the street, and several pedestrians on the other side screamed and pointed toward the sky. Chandra noticed none of this, her eyes riveted on a dark form sinking out of the night to land before them.

"Tyn," she exclaimed, running forward to greet the hooter. Something stung the side of her neck a second before she reached him, and she slapped the injured spot. The girl skidded to a halt, eyes wide with horror, as she felt the small dart drop from under her hand. "Oh, no..."


	6. Reliving Memories

When was the last time I updated? I can't even remember...

As always, I would like to thank my awesome beta Mep for her help in making this story the best it can be.

Thanks for reading, I hope you are enjoying my story. Reviews are welcome, whether praise or criticism - let me know what you think!

(edited 19/5/2011)

* * *

Chapter Six

Reliving Memories

A hard surface pressing against her chest, stomach, legs. The horribly familiar feeling of straps around her wrists, ankles and waist. A painful white wherever her eyes darted. Adrenaline-laced fear sent coursing through her veins by a racing heart. Yes, she remembered this place all too well, and Chandra struggled desperately to free herself, knowing even as she did so that escape would be impossible. Unless there was an identical facility in New York, she was back where she had started, deep in the mountains of Vermont, where no one would ever think to look for an illegal government laboratory. The place where nightmares really did come true.

"She's awake," said a shrill, unfamiliar voice. Something white moved in the corner of her vision, the corner of a lab coat. Chandra turned her head, knowing there was no point in feigning unconsciousness, and watched the assistant hand a clipboard to Dr. Delinz, who dismissed the woman with a wave of her hand before tucking the clipboard under her arm and striding over to the table upon which Chandra lay.

"Welcome back," she said, frowning at the girl, who cowered at the dark look in the scientist's eyes. "You nearly cost me my job, you little brat. Fortunately for me, they've decided you're too dangerous to keep any longer, so after a few experiments we've been wanting to try, you'll be terminated."

Chandra's heart skipped several beats and she stopped breathing for a moment. When her lungs began to burn she forced herself to draw in air, a soft whine coming from her mouth, too high for the woman to hear. Though Chandra could hear herself all too well, she didn't know how to stop the keen of despair from escaping her throat. Why did this have to happen? She and Tyn had been so close – Tyn! She had forgotten about him until now, but surely if they had captured her, he too had been taken. Her concern must have shown on her face, because Dr. Delinz smirked.

"If you're worried about your feathered friend, don't worry; he's in good hands. We would never harm such a valuable specimen. Though he did do a lot of damage to several of my assistants before they got him subdued."

_Sharp of talon, strong of claw_... Chandra wondered where the strange words had come from, and shook her head violently, dispersing the images that rose unbidden at the woman's words. _How badly did they hurt him? Unless they used strong tranquilizer, I'm not sure he would have collapsed the way I did, and any other way they could have captured him would have made it difficult for them not to hurt him in some way. What if they used a taser?_ The girl shuddered. _No, that wouldn't have been effective._

"I'm also afraid that you shouldn't be wishing for any rescues," Dr. Delinz continued. "I contacted the family you were staying with and made it clear that any attempt to bring the authorities into the matter would result in your immediate death. Needless to say, they agreed to forget about you."

Chandra couldn't prevent a few tears from leaking out of her eyes, even as she told herself she had to stay strong, that there was no way Gregor and his family would just forget about her, even if they couldn't do anything to help with the situation as it currently was.

"Now, before we get started with the tests, I want you fully rested." Before Chandra could react, the woman had jabbed a needle into Chandra's arm and the girl suddenly felt the floaty feeling of been sent forcibly to sleep by anesthetic. It was almost a relief to leave behind all the troubled thoughts she had racing through her head, but the girl still fought against the tranquilizer until she could no longer keep her eyes open.

* * *

Words drifted into Chandra's ears, making little sense until her groggy brain had spent several seconds processing the simple information. Still under the influence of the anesthetic, she allowed her body to stay limp on the table as she collected what little information she could with the few senses available. Her mouth had a metallic taste in it as it always did after she got x-rayed – the scientists had never figured out what caused that, and she had stopped complaining about it a long time ago after being informed it didn't matter what the scans made her feel like, they still needed to do them in order to find out things they would otherwise be unable to know about her skeletal structure and other such things.

"...dangerous," the assistant from before was saying, almost immediately interrupted by Dr. Delinz, who tutted in reply.

"Don't worry about it," said Dr. Delinz, her voice accompanied by scratching sounds that told Chandra the woman was writing something down. "There's no need to worry about what they say, because that genetic mutation has advanced more than I thought. The subject will be dead in a few weeks."

"Can't you stop it, or reverse the effect?"

"No, and neither can any of the other top geneticists. The only thing we can do is cram as many tests as possible in the next few days, since nothing can be done about it. We can't even pinpoint the exact day, could be only a few days, or several weeks as I said. I'm hoping for the latter, some of the experiments we had planned can't be done-"

Chandra made the mistake of sneezing at that moment, ending the conversation before it could progress any further.

"Oh, good, you're awake." Dr. Delinz had arrived at the table and removed the straps holding Chandra down before the girl even realized what was happening.

Before the woman could say anything else, Chandra jumped to her feet and took off, flapping her wings rapidly to get enough lift from the still air of the laboratory as she headed for the ceiling, hoping to break through one of the skylights. She didn't realize until too late that her wings felt a little off balance, then suddenly the girl's flight pattern sent her spiraling out of control to crash hard against the floor, a sharp pain shooting up her leg, accompanied by a sharp crack that told her she had broken something.

"Call someone and tell them to bring a stretcher," Dr. Delinz said with disgust. "They can stick her in one of the cages for the night, and I'll continue the tests tomorrow, by then the bone should be knitted together enough to hold for a bit."

"Shouldn't they bandage her leg first?"

"No, don't bother. It'll heal on its own, and if it heals crooked, it'll just make it easier to keep her from running away."

"Are you sure that's wise? The government might have requested her termination, but we should still keep her in good condition, at least until they order us to carry out the operation."

"Do as I say, and stop questioning my orders before I decide to start questioning my superior as to why I have such a nosy assistant who doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut," snapped Dr. Delinz, and the assistant scurried out as fast as she could, wobbling on the high heels she wore.

Dr. Delinz shot Chandra a glare as she headed for the door as well. "You'll regret messing up my plans. Better be on your best behavior or I will tell them to not give you any painkillers before some of the tests."

Chandra glared back mutely, knowing that a response would only get her in more trouble that she already was in. The pain in her leg was mild compared to the ache in her chest – she knew that escape, however improbable it had been before, was now close to impossible thanks to her injured leg.

* * *

Pacing in his living room beside his father, Gregor used every bad word that his father did and more to describe the people who had contacted them that morning. None of the descriptions were very nice and some might have been a little exaggerated, but they all made clear one thing – neither was happy about what had happened to Chandra.

Gregor's mother sat on the couch, watching the screen of the muted television as she waited for the storm to subside enough for her to add her own input. Finally there was a break, and the woman said in a soft but scolding tone, "Shouting about how horrible their childhood must have been and what twisted minds they have isn't going to fix the problem. Now, we can't go to the police about this because Chandra's life is at stake, but is there any chance your friends might be able to help, Gregor?"

Gregor hesitated, then shook his head. "I don't think so. It's too dangerous for them up here, and we don't even know if Chandra's still in the city. She could be anywhere, even in a different country by now. I shouldn't have let them take her."

"It's not like you had a choice," Grace said, giving her son's bandaged arm a pointed look. "You're lucky those nice young men were passing by and saw what happened and brought you home."

Nice was not a word Gregor had used to describe the gang before then, but his mother did have a good point. By all rights they should have stripped him of all valuables and left him for someone to find in the morning. Instead they'd removed the dart, put a bandage over the entry point, and managed to get directions from him while he was still coherent enough to speak – all of this had been told to his parents by the gang's leader. Gregor himself didn't remember telling them where he lived, but he didn't remember much after the initial sting of the dart, except for the hatred he felt for the kidnappers and himself for not being able to protect his friend.

For a moment Gregor entertained the idea that perhaps the gang could be convinced to help him find his friend, perhaps for a price, but they had vanished soon after dropping him off. Sighing, he continued to pace, thinking hard, until the door opened and Lizzy called, "I'm home!"

"Hey, Lizzy," Gregor greeted as she came into the living room.

"Are you feeling better?" she asked.

"Much," he replied, remembering his mother's excuse that morning – he and Chandra were feeling sick; it might be contagious so Lizzy and Boots had to stay away. "But Chandra really is sick, so don't disturb her, okay?"

"All right." Lizzy glanced from her father, who was standing by the bookcase on the far wall, looking thoughtful, to her mother, who sat on the couch with a strained smile pasted across her face. "Did something happen?"

"No, everything's fine," Grace said, jumping to her feet. "Let's get you started on your homework before Boots gets home."

"Boots!" Lizzy exclaimed so loudly that she made her family jump. "I forgot. My bus driver wouldn't let her on and her friend couldn't take her home today after practice because she had a dental appointment, so she needs to be picked up from the school in about half an hour."

"I'll do it," said her father, racing out of the room. "Have fun with your homework."

"History and math," Lizzy said, gagging. "My science teacher is too nice and doesn't assign homework much, even though that's my favorite subject."

"Just means less homework," Gregor replied, remembering his own science teacher who had always assigned tons of homework. Fortunately that guy had been transferred to a different school before his sister had reached middle school age, otherwise she would have had to put up with the same workload he did. Though she did like science, so perhaps it wouldn't have been such a bad deal in her opinion as it had been for him. "I'm going for a walk," he said abruptly, heading for the door. "I'll be back in time for supper, don't worry."

"I won't," said her mother, but her strained voice made it clear that she was lying. "Be careful."

"I will." Gregor shut the door behind him and stood in the hall for a few minutes, trying to collect his thoughts. Should he involve the Underlanders or not? After all, Tyn was one of them, and if he gave away important information, they would want to know in order to take preventative measures before it was too late. However, what could they do? Their weapons were primitive by Overlander standards, and most of the inhabitants would not be able to hide aboveground, even the humans would have difficulty. Not to mention sunburn would be a major problem.

On the other hand, there was poor Twitchtongue, waiting for word of his bond, and he most of all deserved to know what had happened. Telling him, though, might only make things worse, since there was no way a giant rat could wander about aboveground.

Even as his mind tossed the choices – and their pros and cons – back and forth, the teen found his feet leading him in the general direction of the park. Several times he paused, having almost made up his mind that it would be better to let the Underlanders think nothing was wrong. Each time something came to mind that sent him down the street again, whether it was Ripred scolding him for not telling them sooner once they found out eventually, or Luxa's sharp violet eyes, narrowed as she suggested he didn't trust them.

When Gregor found himself standing beside the boulder that his father had helped cement into place and later chipped out again to serve as an entrance to the abandoned tunnel where they often left and found messages, the teen found himself still teetering on the edge of indecision.

It was the thought of the possible threat to the entire Underland that made him dig a bit of paper and a pencil stub from his pocket. Whether or not they could help with Chandra and Tyn's dilemma, the Underlanders could and would do something to protect themselves from invasion.

Gregor leaned against the boulder as he tried to come up with something that didn't sound too harsh. _Sorry to tell you this, but Tyn and Chandra have been captured and might be forced to reveal the Underland's location, suggest you be prepared for invasion,_ just didn't sound right, and Gregor scratched out several similar attempts with an exasperated sigh.

"What ya writing?"

The voice from directly behind him sent Gregor whirling around, gripping his pencil as though it was a weapon, ready to stab whoever had snuck up on him so easily. The man standing there looked familiar, but Gregor couldn't quite place his face. Since the man wasn't making any threatening moves, Gregor guessed it was okay to lower his pencil a little, but snapped, "Who are you?"

"What? No 'thank you'?"

It was the gang leader, Gregor realized, suddenly recognizing the pink spiky hair, and he bristled. "If you hadn't chased us, Chandra wouldn't be locked up in some lab right now. Why should I thank you?"

"They would have taken you, too, if we hadn't intervened. Sorry about your friend – Chandra, you said? Nice name for a pretty face. There was no way we were going to get her off their hands, already had her bundled into the back of a van when we caught up, and the guys with guns looked quite ready to shoot if we so much as toed the line the wrong way. Could you help your friend if you were locked up wherever they took her? Speaking of which, I'm surprised you're not out looking."

"Why are you bothering me?" Gregor demanded, crumpling the note in his hand and stuffing it into his jacket pocket with his pencil.

"Because you're going to need some help," the man replied, holding out his hand. "And we're the ones to give it to you."

"We?"

The man nodded toward an area behind Gregor, and the boy turned to find several other recognizable faces standing there in a small group, along with some girls he hadn't seen the night before. "I won't bother to introduce everyone, since we don't need everyone, but Cris here-" one of the girls stepped forward, folding her arms "-knows where they took your friend."

Gregor's eyes widened, unable to stop hope from creeping into his voice. "How?"

"I've got my ways, we don't need to get into the details," she replied. "They took the van to an airport and boarded a plane that headed for Vermont, near the mountains. My guess is they've got some lab hidden in that area."

"We've already got people there searching for the place," continued the leader, drawing Gregor's attention back to him for the moment. "Now, I know you're probably wondering what's in it for us, but here's the catch – we can't tell you why we're helping you. At least not until we know we can trust you."

"My friend just got captured because you didn't-"

"-couldn't."

"-_didn't_ stop them, and you're asking me to trust you?" Gregor shook his head. "I don't need your help, I can find Chandra on my own."

"Sorry," the leader said, shaking his head. "There's too much of a chance that you could be an informant. I've already said more than I should have. Do you want our help or not?"

"The mountain ranges in Vermont are enormous," Cris added. "You won't want to search them yourself, it would take years, decades if the place is underground."

"How are you planning on finding it, then?"

"Like I said, we've got people looking, and they've got the right tools for the job," she replied. "Can't tell you anymore than that."

"Can you at least tell me what your plan is if you find the place?" Gregor asked. "They said that if we contacted the authorities, she'd be killed."

"Terminated was probably the word they used," the leader said grimly. "We know all about their little tricks and threats. Don't worry about it, we've got a way in, just have to find the place in order to utilize it. However, there's one thing we can't do that we need your help with."

Gregor hesitated. "What is it?" he asked finally. Much as he hated to admit it, these guys seemed to be telling the truth, however strange it might be.

"We know you've got friends hiding around here somewhere, or you wouldn't come here alone. Since this isn't exactly the best place to live, I'm guessing they're hiding, maybe underground. I want you to contact them and request that they let us join them, wherever they are."

_He knows more than he's saying_, Gregor thought, and frowned. "I can try," he said reluctantly, knowing that denying that he had such a contact would probably just get himself called a liar.

"That's all I'm asking," the man said, slapping his shoulder. "All right, gang, let's head out. We'll contact you the moment we've got news. What's your name?"

"Gregor."

"Got a phone?"

The boy shook his head – his parents didn't like using the phone except for emergencies.

"Computer?"

Once again Gregor shook his head. "Not one with internet, if that's what you're hoping. My dad uses one for his work."

"All right, then, perhaps that's for the best. I'll have Cris leave a message for you at your apartment building lobby when we hear from our contacts in Vermont. Probably by this evening, tomorrow morning at the latest."

"All right," Gregor said faintly, feeling a bit overwhelmed by this sudden onslaught of good news. "Thank you?"

"Is that a question or an actual acknowledgment that you need our help?" The man grinned when Gregor scowled. "Never mind, I accept your apology."

"Hey," Gregor called after them as they walked away. "When will I find out what the deal is with you guys?"

"When we believe you're trustworthy, and not a moment sooner."

Somehow the group managed to just fade into the park, and soon they were nowhere in sight. Gregor pulled out the crumpled bit of paper and looked at it, wondering whether he was doing the right thing. After a long moment, he stuffed the paper back into his pocket and headed home, hoping that the contacts in Vermont came through. Who knew what they were doing to Chandra wherever she was. The sooner they found her, the better.


	7. Painful Decisions

It's been ages since I've updated! I blame school and work in equal measure.

Many thanks to my beta, Mep, for her continued endeavors in making this story as good as it should be.

I also thank you, for reading and - I hope - enjoying my work.

* * *

Chapter Seven

Painful Decisions

Chandra gritted her teeth against the pain in her leg. There was no doubt in her mind that the bone was broken, and she could only be grateful it wasn't a compound fracture. However, she noted bleakly, this made her chances of escape impossible, and she couldn't stop hot tears of terror from pouring down her cheeks as she cried silently for the fates of those unwarned. _So many lives lost because of me. I wish I'd refused Tyn's offer back then, when he first told me where he wanted to go. Maybe then this wouldn't be happening..._ A small part of her offered the opinion that the hooter would have eventually found his way out of the Underland on his own, but the thought did little to ease the girl's heartache.

Perhaps her grief made her ignore her surroundings, or maybe there was something else that prevented her from hearing her name being called at first, but at last the solitary word sank in enough to register, and she brought her head up in surprise. She recognized the voice well, even though it was higher pitched than usual in order to prevent humans from hearing.

"Tyn?" she called, matching the high pitch with ease. _At least they haven't killed him,_ she thought with relief, moving to sit up before she remembered her leg and stopped herself before she jostled the painful break.

"Overlander, it is you," the hooter said, a little surprise with quite a bit of pity in his voice. "I thought you were dead."

"Same here, but I guess they didn't want to destroy me yet," she replied with a sharp laugh that bore no trace of humor, feeling fear stir in the pit of her stomach. _Can't think about that. Why are they bothering to keep me alive? They've run every test possible since I was a child. What more do they want from me?_ Information, possibly, though they had probably dragged more than enough from Tyn. The thought made Chandra shudder in sympathy, knowing all too well what things the scientists were capable of. _At least I know what my fate is. He'll probably be shipped around the country and subjected to tests until he dies, and before he does they might clone him._ "I'm sorry, Tyn, it's my fault you're in here."

"No, it is my own. I should have listened to you, Chandra." There was a soft rustle of feathers as Tyn shifted uncomfortably. "You were right that I do not belong aboveground, and instead of paying for my mistake alone, you and many, many others will also die because of me. So much blood spilled..." His voice faded for a moment before he added in a near whisper the girl's keen hearing could barely make out, "I deserve to die."

"No one deserves to die," Chandra protested, then after a short pause amended her statement. "Well, except for a couple doctors and various research assistants I may or may not be able to name. You made a mistake, yes, but don't give yourself the death sentence yet, because you might be able to fix it. Part of it, anyway." She heaved herself up on one elbow, biting her lower lip at the throbbing in her leg, and peered through the bars of her cage toward Tyn. Though it was pitch black, a little echolocation revealed the hooter and his surrounding cage at once. Predictably his cage was not latched with a simple bolt but had a padlock on it, and Chandra easily formulated a plan for solving that problem.

"How often are you fed?" she asked.

"Once a day, just before the sun arrives."

_Probably so he is too well-fed and sleepy to consider escaping during the day,_ the girl decided, remembering her own similar escape that had failed earlier that day. _Or was it yesterday?_ _Wish I knew how long I was unconscious._ "Do you know when they'll next come?"

"Soon, I can sense dawn approaching. Do you have an idea?" A hint of hope had crept into the hooter's voice. "I am willing to do whatever I can to help you escape."

"It will be you escaping, not me," Chandra said, her mouth twisting into a sad half-smile, though she knew the bird wouldn't be able to see the expression. The thought of freedom still made her heart skip a beat with hope, but cold reality returned when she shifted her weight a little and jarred her injured leg. A soft hiss of pain escape her mouth before she could state in a flat voice, "My leg's broken."

"But you can fly. I could carry you myself if necessary-"

"Stop," said the girl, her voice harsher than intended, not wanting to think about what happened the last time she tried flying. _They must have snipped my wings._ Chandra didn't want to look, knowing how bad the damage could be. A small slice on an edge would off-balance her enough to make flying impossible._ I hope Tyn's wings are all right._ It was unlikely the scientists would have forgotten such an important detail in keeping a bird captive, but the girl knew this could be Tyn's only chance. "The windows are bulletproof glass, with bars on the outside. Nothing short of a large bomb could break it. Your best chance is to escape through the hallways and find a way to the roof. Smashing through a layer or two of plywood and shingles shouldn't be too difficult, but it would be impossible carrying me, and I _can't_ fly. They trimmed my wings." Although it didn't hurt and she knew her wings, given time, would heal, her heart still ached with sorrow. No doubt by the time she would be able to fly again, she would have no need to. She would be dead. _Concentrate on the escape plan, this is no time for regrets._ Taking a deep breath, Chandra began to explain. "This is my plan..."

* * *

When the door opened and a light flickered on, Chandra winced at the sudden brightness that turned the insides of her eyelids bright red. Footsteps warned of someone approaching, and she cracked her eyes to find a familiar face above the bucket of dead animals he was carrying with much distaste.

_Serves you right,_ the girl thought, and waited until he had reached the hooter's cage before opening her mouth and letting out the shrillest sound she could make, imagining it drilling straight through his eardrums and destroying his equilibrium before knocking him out. Within seconds, the man had collapsed, right next to Tyn's cage. Perfect.

"All right," Chandra said, watching the cameras in the corner of the room with one eye while keeping the other on her friend and the unconscious man. "Grab the keys."

It was impossible to snag the large ring of keys – _How old-fashioned of them,_ Chandra thought with a quick smirk at the scientists' expense - with his beak, so Tyn was forced to hop awkwardly on one leg while stretching out the other, talons snapping shut just short of the target several times before they finally closed around the metal loop. He had to rest for a moment before moving on to the next part of his escape, actually opening the door.

Standing on one leg again, Tyn bent the other at an awkward angle as he tried one key after another in the padlock. Finally the lock clicked and the bar popped out, letting the door swing open. Tyn transferred the ring of keys to his beak and hopped onto the floor, walking over to Chandra's cage despite the girl's immediate protests.

"You are coming with me," he insisted, dropping the ring for a brief second so he could speak, but before he was able to retrieve the keys, Chandra's hand shot out and she grabbed the ring, drawing it into her cage and holding it close.

"No, I'm not," she insisted, her grey eyes like cold ice as they met his strange, yellow gaze. "Get out of here before they realize you've escaped, Tyn. There's little more they can do to me, anyway. Just go." Dropping her head onto the cool metal floor of her cage, she closed her eyes, weariness seeping through every bone in her body. Even her injured leg seemed less willing to ache, as though it would take too much effort. Knocking that man out had taken more energy than she could spare, and all Chandra wanted to do was fall asleep and never wake up. The words she had been trying to forget returned, Dr. Delinz's voice spiraling through her mind in a relentless attack on what little positive emotions she had left. _"Genetic mutation...dead in a few weeks...nothing can be done." I'm dead, whether I escape or not. At least this way, Tyn has half a chance._

A creaking sound caught her attention, and she opened her eyes to find Tyn closing his cage door, sealing himself inside again. "What are you doing?"

"I refuse to leave without you."

Horror quickened Chandra's heart rate and she shook her head violently. "You idiot, this isn't just about me, the entire Underland is at stake! You've got to warn everyone. Contact Gregor if you can, he'll help you. Please, Tyn," she begged, not knowing what else to say, and deciding it was time to tell the truth. "Even If I get out, I'm doomed. Something's going wrong with my genes and I could die any day."

"I know not what genes are, but you seem healthy enough to me." However, Tyn's voice told a different story – he seemed to realize that she was telling the truth.

"It's too complicated to explain and we don't have time," she said. "Ask Gregor when you get a chance if you like, but don't tell him why you're interested. Let everyone think that the scientists...terminated my project." Just saying the words made her shudder, but she hid the motion well and kept her face a neutral mask. "And tell Twitchtongue I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to return." Chandra choked on the last few words. _I never should have formed a bond with him. Should have known something like this would happen._ "Please, Tyn," she said one last time, unable to muster the energy needed for a longer argument. "You're their only hope."

"All right," the hooter said, his words accompanied by a heavy sigh and the promising creak of his cage's door. "I will go. But do not die until I return, Chandra. We will get you out of here."

Sheer relief filled the girl's whispered, "Thank you, Tyn." Though she knew they would not be in time, even if they did come for her, at least the Underland might stand a chance. "Good luck, Tyn," she added, and watched until the hooter had vanished through the open door into the dimly lit hallway beyond.

_ I just hope he makes it there in time. _Sighing, the girl rested her head on her arms and let her eyes drift shut, continuing to pray that for her friends' safety until she fell into a deep, dreamless slumber shadowed by a suffocating darkness that thickened until it was too heavy for her to hold back. Her last thought before the void overcame her was a multifold wish to whatever gods might be listening. _Please let Tyn make it out alive, and reach the Underland before it's too late, and help them win, or at least let them get away..._


	8. New Alliances

It's been about six months since I last updated this! I would ask your forgiveness, but that's really an unforgivable length of time...

Many thanks to my beta, Mep (aka BloodRedTopaz), for her continued efforts in making my writing readable!

And last but not least, THANK YOU for faving, alerting, reviewing or just reading, I hope you continue to enjoy this story.

* * *

Chapter Eight

New Alliances

Gregor ate his dinner in silence, answering only when he was spoken to, and even then he could not always be relied on to respond. He didn't dare tell his parents about the strange gang who had offered to help him that afternoon in Central Park. If they decided that it was a matter for the police after all, rather than letting strangers do something as brainless as what they were planning, he and his new friends were going to be in a whole lot more trouble than they would be able to handle, and Chandra was going to die.

So telling his parents was definitely not an option, and his sisters were devastated enough by the fact that Chandra was sick to the point that they couldn't see her. He didn't want to tell them the truth; it would only hurt them. Lizzy for sure would break down in tears, and Boots would, too. The last thing his family needed right now was more problems to deal with.

Deciding that he had better check in the lobby to see if there were any messages, just in case the guy at the desk actually decided to call them instead of just waiting until they came down to pick up the messages in the morning, Gregor excused himself from the table early and headed downstairs. It had only been a couple of hours since he had had the odd conversation so he did not expect to find a message waiting for him.

"You have a message," the man at the desk said the moment Gregor reached it, and the boy's jaw dropped. "Surprised? From your girlfriend, I'm guessing? She was a cute little thing." The man reached under his desk and pulled out a sealed envelope. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Gregor said, and dashed to the elevator, where he jabbed the button to call it while slitting open the top of the envelope with a finger. The paper tore the wrong way and dumped the letter inside on the floor, so the boy snatched it up quickly just as the elevator doors creaked open, then walked into the small compartment and pushed the button that would take him to his floor, realizing a second too late that the OUT OF ORDER sign was still hanging on the outside of the door.

He spent the entire trip to his floor with sweat dripping down his face from anxiety, wondering if he was about to get stuck in between floors in the elevator for a couple of hours until they could get someone down to get him out. He hoped that didn't happen, because he really didn't want to have to explain to his parents why he was sneaking around downstairs and why he had a message from someone – the girlfriend explanation might work for the desk guard, who didn't know him very well, but his family wouldn't be fooled for a second.

Slipping the letter under his shirt before leaving the elevator, Gregor snuck into the apartment on tiptoes and crept into his room before anyone noticed he was back. Pulling out the letter, he opened it cautiously and smoothed the creases from it before reading the short note.

_Gregor-_

_We found it. CP, 10pm, tonight. Bring warm clothes and passport._

The note was unsigned, but that was because a signature wasn't needed. Gregor all but punched the air in delight. After hiding the note and its envelope in his sock drawer for the moment, he went out and helped clean up dinner, trying not to seem too guilty.

The night consisted of a quick dessert of ice-cream, followed by a couple games of three-way checkers between him and his sisters before Gregor retired to his room, claiming he was still feeling a little sick and needed to lie down for a bit. Instead of lying down, though, he pulled out the suitcase from under his bed that contained his passport and a variety of other travel necessities.

Removing the passport, he kicked the suitcase back where it had come from, then tucked the small blue book into his jacket pocket, hoping that it wouldn't be noticed by his parents when they came to say good night; the pocket wasn't quite deep enough and a small corner poked out. To prevent detection, he moved one jacket arm over the pocket.

It took forever for the clock on his dresser to tick past eight. Nine seemed ages away, and he forced himself to keep his eyes open, not wanting to doze off, as that could result in him missing the meeting in Central Park.

When it was finally half past nine, Gregor slipped on boots and jacket as quietly as possible, snuck into the kitchen to grab a few handfuls of granola bars, then hurried out the front door, careful to keep the door from squeaking, as it would be a dead giveaway and probably wake his parents up. They would have a fit if they knew that he was sneaking out in the middle of the night to meet some people he had only met twice before, once being the time they chased him halfway across the city.

He made it out of the apartment building with little trouble, and hurried down the street to Central Park, keeping an eye out for criminals. The last thing he wanted to explain to his parents was why he had been carrying his passport when he got mugged, as that would get him into the explanation about the gang offering to help and Vermont and goodness knows what else.

The gang was waiting for him by the boulder, a smaller group than before, just the leader, Cris, and a couple of other guys Gregor sort of recognized but couldn't have identified later. Not that it really mattered, since the crux of the problem was finding Chandra and if they were really going to help, then he wasn't going to complain about the manner in which they did. If this was just some trick to steal his passport, well, that wouldn't work either, because, while he didn't like to acknowledge it, his inner rager still burned fairly close to the surface. He wasn't looking for an excuse to unleash it. If it was necessary to help Chandra, though, he would do it without even considering the consequences, same as he would for any other friend or family member he had.

"Good," the man said after asking to see, and in turn being shown, the passport. "We can leave, then. We're taking a plane to Vermont, private jet that's owned by a friend. If we're fast, we might even get back here before sunrise, which means your parents won't ever know you're gone. You didn't leave a note, did you? Please tell me there aren't going to be cops out looking for you."

"No," Gregor said, shaking his head. "I didn't leave a note."

"Good," said the man again. "All right, Cris, fire up the car; we'll leave in a moment."

Cris headed for a nearby stand of bushes and disappeared behind them. A moment later bright headlights shone from behind the shrubbery, accompanied by the harsh revving of a starting engine. Gregor decided now was not a good time to point out that motor vehicles were supposed to stay on the road, not get hidden in the park. They probably had their reasons for doing that, and he didn't want to get into an argument about something as unimportant as that.

"Now, there are a few basic rules I want to make sure we're clear on before we leave," the gang leader said, holding up a hand as though to prevent Gregor from moving, not that the boy have been in the first place. "First of all, no questions at all. I don't care if you just want to use the bathroom, the jet's equipped and you'll have to hold it until we get there. Comments are also a bad idea when Cris is driving, because she's not exactly the most focused person in the world, and distracting her could cause an accident or five. It's happened before."

Gregor's stomach began to knot, reminding him why he didn't like riding in cars in the first place. "Anymore rules? Or should I just keep my mouth shut?"

"You can speak when we get on the jet, it's got a-" the man stopped and frowned. "Let's just say that if you happen to be bugged, there is no way anyone could hear a conversation taking place on that jet. Until we get there, anything we say could get recorded, and I don't want anything to happen to my friends. So no talking until we're on the jet."

"Got it," Gregor said. "Anything else?"

"I think that covers it for now. However, I have to warn you, the place your friend is being held is like a fortress, and a good portion's underground. It might be difficult to find her, so I hope you aren't going to be disappointed if we don't."

"We'll find her," Gregor said firmly, not daring to let himself believe otherwise. "And Tyn, too," he added, realizing that the hooter would be in just as much danger as Chandra, perhaps more since the scientists had never seen anything like him before. "We have to get Tyn out, too, or there's going to be trouble for my...friends that you want to live with."

"Tyn is the giant talking owl that almost took my head off?"

Gregor nodded. If it had been a slightly less serious situation, he might have laughed at the question, but as it was, he simply grinned a little. "That would be Tyn, yeah. You don't want to get on his bad side."

"No kidding. All right, everyone in the car. You can call these guys Little and John," added the gang leader, gesturing to his companions. "They don't talk much but they'll get us inside. More details on that later. Until then-"

Gregor mimed zipping his mouth shut, earning a laugh and a clap on the shoulder from the man.

"Exactly. I can tell we're going to get along. Let's go."

* * *

The car ride was long, and between the tinted windows and back and forth pattern that Cris took on their way to the airport, there was no way Gregor could have ever retraced the path they followed. Not that he needed to, a beeping GPS informed Cris when and where to turn, and how far from their destination they were in miles, hours and days, until the gang leader, whose name Gregor still didn't know, leaned over and snapped the machine off with an exasperated growl.

"Can't stand that uppity high pitched voice," he said, ignoring Cris's protests that he should turn it back on if he wanted to ever reach their destination. "Cris, just follow the path we usually take, enough with all this winding and turning, we'll never get there at this rate."

"We're being followed," she replied tersely, snapping her GPS back on with a scowl in the rear view mirror that made it clear it was NOT to be turned off again. "Now unless you want to get hauled away by whatever idiots are following us in the hopes of capturing us or our little friend here, I suggest that you shut up and let me do my job the way I usually do it, which is slower but makes sure we reach our destination alive." With that, she put down the gas pedal and shot around corner on two wheels, causing Gregor to inhale sharply and glance at the man sitting in the front passenger's seat, wondering if his face was as pale as that man's had become. Apparently his newfound friend wasn't too keen on fast driving, either. Gregor just hoped that Cris didn't do anything stupid that would land them all in jail, because he doubted his parents would want to bail him out.


	9. On the Skyway to

Updating earlier than usual, to make up for the recent lack of updates.

Many thanks goes to my amazing beta, BloodRedTopaz!

Thank YOU for faving, alerting, reviewing, or simply reading (and, hopefully, enjoying!) my story.

* * *

Chapter Nine

On the Skyway to...

It didn't take long for Gregor to decide that private jets were a worse way to fly compared to commercial flights, though perhaps it was less the fault of the plane than the pilot, who was once again Cris. The girl apparently could fly or drive pretty much anything and navigate from the position of a single star in the night sky while Gregor listened to the gang leader ramble about pretty much everything. It appeared that despite their young appearances, his companions were at least twenty-something, because they spoke of college in the past tense, though none of them would reveal what college or colleges they had attended.

They also refrained from speaking about where they met each other, or what they did when not offering desperate kids rides in a private jet they had borrowed. Gregor spent much of the long trip listening to the three men sitting with him talk a lot about very little – or, rather, the gang leader talked. His two companions occasionally nodded, and even more occasionally said a word or two, but mostly they seemed to be engrossed in magazines about weapons and didn't pay much attention to what their leader was saying.

He didn't seem to mind, apparently more interested in filling the slightly awkward silence than the actual content of his words. Turning to Gregor after completing a slightly rambling tale of something that had once happened to him, John, and a dumpster complete with rabid rats, the man asked, "So, what's the deal with your friend with the wings?"

"I don't know all the details," Gregor said hesitantly, unsure if he should tell them anything besides what he thought might be necessary for Chandra's rescue. "But some group with the government actually created her. I don't know why or how, but they managed to give her wings like a bat and really good hearing. Not sure if her eyesight is like theirs, but she_ can_ fly. Really well, in fact."

"Why didn't she flee, then, when they came after you?"

"Tyn, the big bird?" Gregor waited to get a nod that the man remembered before continuing. "He...ran away from the place you want to go because he thought this place was a better one. Chandra's been searching for him for weeks and yesterday was the closest she'd come, which was why she didn't pay attention and got caught." He felt a pang of guilt, because he too had been watching the owl instead of searching for other things. Things such as attackers about to take his friend away, along with Tyn, who was an even bigger catch.

"It's not your fault she got caught, you know," the man said, patting his shoulder sympathetically. "You did the best you could, and she's just going to have to hang on until we get there."

Gregor nodded. "You're right." Despite saying the words, he wasn't entirely sure he believed them. He let out a quiet sigh as he turned to look out the window. He found himself staring down through the thin cloud cover to the distant ground below, imagining that he could see pictures in the patterns of fields and houses. There was a quilt, another was shaped similar to a cross, then a square of fields surrounding a small town. Still another was shaped rather oddly, almost like an owl with wings outstretched. Gregor let out a loud yelp and pressed his face against the window, not caring whether he smeared the glass.

"It's Tyn!" He said, glancing at the leader. "Can you land this thing or bring him in or something? Chandra might be with him!"

"Scans are only picking up one heat signature in his vicinity," Cris replied, nudging the jet as close to the hooter as she dared. The bird seemed exhausted, no doubt from the long flight it would have taken him to climb as far as he had. It looked like he was alone, and Gregor closed his eyes for a few seconds, wondering how the owl had escaped and whether Chandra might make it out the same way.

After quite a lot of faked sign language and a few missteps from Cris that were accompanied by a lot of cursing, they managed to get the jet close enough to the owl and open a hatch so he could fly inside. It was difficult to close the hatch again, and several times Gregor thought he or one of the men would be sucked out, but with a heave and a few fingers pinched by the door they managed to slam it shut. Gregor huffed in relief.

"Tyn?" Gregor tapped the bird's shoulder, wondering what he would do if the bird fell asleep. Tyn had collapsed on the floor in a heap, too exhausted to even stand.

Raising his head, the bird let out a soft groan. "What is it, Overlander?" he asked in a faint voice.

"How did you escape?" demanded the gang leader, voicing the question Gregor had been about to ask. "That should have been impossible, even for a bird capable of flight such as you. Where is your friend, by the way? The one who was trapped with you? Did she not make it out?"

"Chandra's in trouble!" Tyn cried, reenergized as he remembered the predicament their friend was in. The hooter jumped to his feet, folding his wings to his side even though his feathers had puffed out so much he took up twice as much space as usual. "Even worse, so is the Underland. Everyone's got to leave, and leave fast, or they're doomed."

"You're joking, right?" asked Gregor, terrified that the owl was anything but. "Where are they supposed to go? There's no where safe down there, even if they did patch things up with the cutters, they couldn't have us all move in with them and they aren't far enough away, anyway, for them to know for sure that they're going to be safe."

"Cutters?" the gang leader repeated, raising his eyebrows, before shaking his head and waving a hand in dismissal. "Never mind, you can explain that term later. I'm going to assume they aren't the humans who like slicing themselves into bloody bits."

"No," said Gregor, releasing a slightly nervous laugh. "They're not like that. All right, Tyn, can you at least tell me what's going on with Chandra?"

"I don't know," the bird admitted, eyes wide with fear. "She refused to come with me and insisted I leave to return to the Underland and tell everyone to get out while they can."

"Why, what's happening?" Gregor demanded.

"You can't imagine the horrors they have in that place," Tyn murmured quietly. "I kept silent for as long as I could, but then they threatened to remove my wings, and I couldn't bear it. The pain..." The bird's voice faded and he shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Gregor, I never meant to cause anyone trouble, and now there's thousands of people who are going to die because of me."

"It's not your fault," Gregor said, patting the owl's shoulder in hopes of offering at least a little comfort. "If they had threatened to cut off one of my arms or legs, I would have spilled everything, too."

"Softies," the gang leader grumbled, sitting back in his seat. "It would have taken more than a limb or two to break me."

"Not all of us are military wannabes," Gregor snapped, feeling the hooter start to shake under and his hand and unsure how to comfort the bird. No doubt Chandra would know exactly what to do, but she wasn't there, which left him to figure it out on his own. Not the easiest task in the world. "All right, here's the plan," he said after a moment's thought. "We can't just leave Chandra, but Underland needs to be warned of the danger, too. Tyn, can you make it back to New York?"

"I don't think so," the bird said. "I could fly the distance without much problem, but I don't know the direction and navigating is still difficult for me. How can you stand having a light source that constantly changes position and makes you think you're flying one way when you're actually flying the opposite way?"

"We manage," the gang leader chuckled, seeming to have gotten over his initial worries about the large bird. "Can you carry someone on your back?"

"As long as they aren't too big," Tyn replied. "Normally I could carry two, maybe even three, but I'm afraid that at the moment my strength is not what it could be. I don't suppose you've got something to eat on this flying thing?"

"No," the gang leader apologized. "At least nothing you would be interested in. What do you eat?"

"Meat, mostly."

"Mice?"

"You mean those tiny little white creatures they tried feeding me?" Tyn snorted. "It would take hundreds of those to fill my stomach. No, I eat larger things. There was one creature that was very enjoyable; it was somewhat like a large sheep with very short brown hair and strange things sticking out of its head. They're very good at jumping and running but quite easy to catch once you get the hang of it."

At least they were deer, not cows, Gregor told himself, catching himself before he could protest against the eating of innocent animals. And there _was_ a population overload of deer at the moment. Eating them didn't sound very nice, but it was better than letting them starve to death come winter, when the snow buried things so deeply they couldn't dig out enough food to survive.

Apparently the gang leader was a little more startled that Gregor was at the suggestion that the owl was big enough to eat something so big. "You eat _deer?_"

"Is that what they're called?" Tyn gave a short nod and laughed at the man's wide-eyed look. "Don't look so surprised, Overlander, you should see some of the creatures we have in the Underland. They eat things a lot bigger than deer; some could even eat me and still be hungry afterward."

"This Underland is the place I wanted to go?" the gang leader asked Gregor, frowning when the boy nodded. "Suddenly I'm having second thoughts."

"Speaking of the Underland, we've got to get word to them," Gregor reminded Tyn, trying to steer the conversation back to the original topic.

"Little will go with you and make sure you get back to New York instead of ending up in Florida or New Mexico," the gang leader said, gesturing one of the men from his seat near the front of the jet. The man looked annoyed at being dragged away from the movie he was watching with his companion, but he came nonetheless, though he did look rather nervous to be so close to the large bird. Once his leader had explained the situation, though, Little nodded in agreement and made no complaints as he climbed onto Tyn's back. It took a while to find a comfortable place for him to sit without interfering with Tyn's flying, but at last they were ready, and Cris opened the hatch again, letting the hooter tumble from the plane and fall a few hundred feet before spreading his wings to catch an upward draft of air. He flew, following the route being shouted to him by the man sitting on his back.

"I'm not deaf, you know, no need to be so loud," the hooter complained, turning his head completely around so as to look at the man, whose eyes got quite wide. Satisfied that his passenger would make no more unnecessary noise, Tyn turned his head back around and headed a little closer to ground, wanting to be able to see something other than the clouds that currently blocked his line of vision.

Gregor watched the bird vanish into the clouds, then turned to the gang leader. "Listen, we've got to get Chandra out of that place before they hurt her anymore than they probably have."

"All right," the man said, running a hand through his hair as he considered his options. "We don't have much of a choice, now that we know there's been a breakout. At least he caught up with us before we landed, otherwise we would have waltzed right into the arms of the security guards. No doubt they've doubled or tripled their perimeter guard, which means our only way in is straight through whatever defenses they have."

"I like the sound of that. Someone load my gun," Cris called over her shoulder. "I'm not going in naked."

Gregor kept his mouth shut and watched the men wander about during the rest of the flight, some getting their weapons ready while others pulled outfits from boxes. One was thrown in his direction, with strict instructions that he get changed before they reached their destination.

"Never give them anything to remember," the leader said, nodding in approval once Gregor emerged from the behind the tiny privacy screen someone had rigged up for a changing room. Covered from head to toe in black, his mask having only two holes for eyes, Gregor felt more like he was breaking into someone's house than trying to rescue a friend.

"You guys really know what you're doing," he said, not daring to voice exactly what he was thinking – these guys were no common street gang. In fact, he doubted even the youngest were actually teens.

"We've had practice," said the leader, shrugging as he shared a look with his companions that made it clear none of them would say anything else regarding the subject.

"It's cool if you don't want to explain," Gregor said, peering out one of the small windows. "So, when do we land?"

"When we get there," replied Cris. "How does the roof sound?"

"What if there isn't a landing pad?"

A chorus of laughter met this remark, and Gregor's brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what was so funny. Then his face went white. "You aren't going to crash the plane, are you?"

"Are you crazy? We wouldn't have any way to leave."

"But-"

The man waved a hand, dismissing the subject. "Cris knows what she's doing, and I trust him. You'll just have to trust her, too."

Gregor nodded and was silent for the rest of the trip, which ended much sooner than he expected with Cris changing from a straight line of flight to a tight downward spiral without warning. Everyone grabbed hold of something, trying not to get thrown about as they hit a small patch of turbulence before they cleared the cloud bank and headed straight for a small concrete building.

"Is that it?" The teen stared in surprise, not believing that such a tiny place could hide so much horror.

"Most of it is underground, according to my radar," Cris replied, flicking a switch on the control panel. "Which I just turned off, before someone decides to yell at me for it."

"We'll land on the roof, no problem," said the leader, strapping the last of his guns to his arm. Bristling with weaponry, he and the rest of his gang looked like they had just stepped out of a movie involving spies and international secrets. Only Cris was still in her former clothes, and now she looked out of place, hunched over her steering wheel as she slowly brought the plane in toward its landing spot. So far there had been no movement on the ground or in the building, and that worried Gregor.

"Are you sure this is the right place? Nothing is happening."

"Just wait a minute," Cris said, and no sooner had the words popped from her mouth than they were followed by a curse. "Two missiles at three o' clock, heat-seeking, if I'm not mistaken. Hold on, everyone, it's time to test my skills."

Everyone dived for a seat or some other handhold, Gregor following just a little too late as the plane did a sudden nosedive. He was sent tumbling forward, slamming into the back of Cris's chair, earning him a curse from the girl, who didn't need any distractions at the moment.

"Over here, kid," said one of the other men, grabbing Gregor's arm. He managed to haul the teen across to where he sat, strapped into a seat. "Hold on tight."

"Thanks," Gregor said, resisting the urge to close his eyes shut and pray as the plane headed in to land at a dangerous speed.

_ Chandra, you better still be alive or I'm going to kill you._


End file.
